


If I Die Young

by WillowLong



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Sad Ending, Sick Character, Steve Rogers Feels, Tearjerker, You will be emotionally scared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-08-07 13:38:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7716793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowLong/pseuds/WillowLong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What was most likely to happen to Steve in the real world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If I Die Young

**Author's Note:**

> It was a day. I needed to make someone else cry. Here you go. Inspired by the song If I Die Young by The Band Perry. If you really want to ruin your night, listen to that song with this.

“Shhhh. It’s ok, Stevie. Shhhh. I’m here. I’ve got you.” Strong arms wrapped around frail trembling shoulders. He could feel the horrible heat of an ever persistent fever leaking out of Steve’s skin and drenching his shirt with the remnants of yet another nightmare. Freckles of moisture dotted their way along Steve’s upper lip and forehead, paving his skin with the toxic sweat the fever had left. Bucky rubbed the back of Steve’s neck feeling the way the muscles jumped as he struggled to breath. 

“Buck.” He gasped for air like a fish left to die on a dock.

“Let’s lie down, Stevie.” Bucky’s voice rough and wet in an attempt to keep his tears at bay.

“Buck.” Steve's voice was harsh, grating the air like sandpaper. “It’s ok.” 

The words hit Bucky like a wrecking ball to the stomach. He knew what they meant. He knew what Steve meant. He couldn’t stop he gasping sob that escaped his chest as he hauled the nearly skeletal body into his lap. Fingers traced through sweat damp hair as tears fell onto the smaller boys almost translucently pale skin. Another wet cough rattled Steve and he shook for several seconds before collapsing against Bucky’s chest, a small drop of blood leaking from his nose. Bucky wiped it away. 

“No, Steve. No, no no. It’s not. You’re ok. You’re going to be ok. You have to be ok.” Bucky held onto Steve as tight as he dared. Grounding himself. Allowing the shaking to grip him as he gave up holding back his tears. “I can’t. I can’t.” He didn’t know what he couldn’t do. But he knew he just couldn’t. 

“Buck. Hey. Look at me.” Steve lifted his hand, fingers uselessly brushing away a tear from his best friend’s face. Bucky heaved another heavy sob as his eyes meet the sunken, cloudy eyes of his best friend. 

“No, Steve. Please. Please don’t leave me here alone. I can’t make it without you. I got nothin’. I got nothin’ if I don’t got you.” He turned his face into the hand on his cheek, pressing his mouth against the palm and kissing it through a wet, hiccuping gasp. 

“I’m ready, Buck. You don’t gotta worry bout’ me no more.” He paused as he tried to clear his throat, only to send himself into another fit of coughs. 

“I wanna, Stevie. I need you to worry about.” He cupped the back of Steve’s head, relieving him of the strain of holding it up. 

“I’ll still be here, Buck. I’ll never stop watching you. I can be your guardian angel. You’ve always been mine.” 

Bucky couldn’t think. “Please, God, please. I love you, Steve. I love you so much. Please don’t let go. Don’t let me go.”

“I’ll be ok. Whenever the sun kisses your skin, it will be me. When the wind whispers through your hair, that will be my hands doin’ it. I ain’t gonna be gone forever. You’ll see me again.” Steve’s breathing became short and labored. 

“Steve. Steve, please don’t leave me alone. Let me go in your place. You gotta stay, Steve. Please. I love you. I love you, Steve. So much. You didn’t have enough time.” He was hyperventilating now, face dripping onto Steve’s sweater. 

“I had enough time to love you. That’s all I needed.” He closed his eyes. Bucky bent down and pressed a wet kiss to Steve’s own dry, cracked lips and sobbed as he held him, whispering into Steve’s mouth. 

“I love you, Steve.” 

 

Steve never opened his eyes. 

 

Bucky enlisted that night.


End file.
